'I won't rub it in' - 16-year-old scores at first attempt to pip twin brother

Tuesday: Doncaster

Teenage jockey William Maggs made the perfect start to his career by winning on his first ride under rules.

His 8-1 success on Bird On The Wire meant the amateur rider went three places better than twin brother Charlie, who began life under rules just two days earlier.

The 16-year-olds are with Donald McCain, for whom William Maggs scored a four-and-a-quarter-length win in division one of the handicap hurdle for amateurs and conditional jockeys.

"What an amazing start!" he said. "I've ridden in pony races since I was 11 or 12 and picked up two winners from 24 rides. I'm from Holt, a village just outside Wrexham, and I've been with Mr McCain since I was 13: it will be three years in July."

Maggs's brother Charlie had finished fourth on his debut at Southwell on Sunday and William joked: "I won't rub it in too much!"

McCain was full of praise for both riders. "William has had the winner today but I don't want to single him out. They've been coming to me since they were 13. It started off every weekend and now it's every morning," he said.

Donald McCain: 'They can't work hard enough'Credit: John Grossick (racingpost.com/photos)

"They can't work hard enough; they've got the right attitude and they're smashing kids. Everyone at the yard is delighted because they know how hard they've worked.

"In an age when kids don't want to leave their bedrooms and don't want to get off their computers, these two are a rarity."

Definitely, maybe a Cheltenham contender

Oasis never played Doncaster but Wonderwall was a hit on Town Moor and could now be on a tour of his own, ending up at Cheltenham in March.

The six-year-old named after the Oasis chart-topper overturned the odds-on City Chief in the 2m5f maiden hurdle and Richard Spencer, who trains him for Rebel Jumping, said: "He's a very good horse. The plan has been the Ballymore all along and that's where we're going to try to go. There's Trials day at Cheltenham and the Sidney Banks at Huntingdon

"We were gutted he got beaten first time at Newbury. We thought he'd win and if he hadn't made the mistake he would have done."

The trainer, who won the Coventry Stakes at Royal Ascot with Rajasinghe in 2017, added: "He's going to be a better horse when he jumps a fence, he respects a fence more than a hurdle.

"He has so much ability. He's the best jumper we've got – we haven't got many but he works with many very good Flat horses."

But there was no Oasis double as stablemate Roll With It could finish only third behind Everyonesgame in the bumper.

Nice performance

Conor O'Farrell stuck tight to Niceandeasy after a bad mistake at the sixth fence in the 3m2f novice handicap chase and was rewarded with his 31st winner of a successful season.

But he said: "I'd have been a bit annoyed if I fell off him because it was my own fault.

"I half-asked him and as a result he half-came. If I'd been more decisive it wouldn't have happened. Generally his jumping was very good."

In the flow with tests

For the first time, anyone entering the weighing room needed to show evidence of a negative lateral flow test for Covid and clerk of the course Paul Barker said: "It has gone smoothly, everyone has been receptive to it.

"We were open from five hours before the first race, to cater for valets and any other early arrivals, and it has gone fine.

"If anyone turns up and hasn't done a test, we have some here they can do. You need to show a bit of leniency at the start and I'm not sure if there are still some issues getting hold of tests."

Paul Barker: 'It has gone smoothly, everyone has been receptive to it'Credit: David Carr

Replays, results and analysis

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